Disney on Ice: Frozen, and Daddy is Home for the Holiday!

We have been anticipating this day for quite sometime. Sam came home last night and will be here for just over 3 weeks! We couldn't be more thrilled. This semester has definitely been trying and difficult, but we made it! Sam and I are both relieved to have this semester behind us, for me to have 2 semesters left in this FNP program and for Sam to have his first semester of dental school in the books. He is doing great, really excelling in his classes. I feel that we would barely see him if we were there, he leaves for school around 6-7 am, gets home from school around 7-8, eats dinner and then studies till 11-12. Its amazing how much time and effort he is putting in and it makes me so proud because his grades are definitely reflecting all that hard work. We are so proud of him and grateful that he has gotten to this point in his life. I had no doubt that he would succeed and only see him continuing on. As for me, my first rotation this semester was in Geriatrics, which is defiantly NOT my forte. I love working in Women's health and peds, which will come next semester. But, I succeeded and made it through the clinical and didactic part of this program for geriatric care. I am excited for the next 2 semesters and then being done July 31st.

We surprised Bristol with tickets to Disney on Ice: Frozen and her and Sam were able to have a much needed daddy-daughter date. She was thrilled when they arrived inside and said the cutest thing to Sam. Sam asked her "Did you know we were going to see Frozen tonight?", she replied "Yes.", he said "How did you know that?", she replied "I have been dreaming about this!." That girl, she is just too much! She had a blast watching them skate on the ice and perform, she loved the princess dresses and Sam treated her to a snowcone with a special souvenir cup! (only cost us $16!) It was great, though and I really think it is a memory she will have forever. I still remember my experience going to see Beauty and the Beast on ice, getting a snowcone in a souvenir cup and using that cup whenever I had the chance.

This girl of ours!

Our Bristol has a wonderful primary teacher whom we love! She loves the kids and truly loves her calling, which has given Bristol the desire to go to church just so she can see Sister Libby in primary! Sister Libby is one of the most kind-hearted, eccentric, loving, adoring lady that I have meet. She has emailed me a few times to thank me for the daughter that we have raised. This has touched our hearts deeply! Thank you, Sister Libby, for sending these sweet notes to us and for cherishing our dearest daughter. We are blessed everyday by that sweet girl of ours and feel very lucky to have a tender hearted soul in our home!

Here are a couple of notes that we have received:

"Hey Beck I wanted to share something soo sweet today abt Bristol. on sunday when i went to church, i was kind of having a sad day. and feeling pretty alone.  when bristol saw me, she looked at me, and said you look really pretty sister Livvy (thats what she calls me). i like your dress. i said thank you bristol and hugged her tight. sometimes people dont realize that its not always easy when your single and not having someone that tells you you look pretty, or beautiful, or just hugs you tight. and makes you feel loved and valued. I do get that from my kids but its nice to hear it from others occasionally. sunday was just one of those days i needed it. I get so much love from the children, and it means so much to me, during this waiting time. but i was thinking especially of my blessings today, and the things that touch me and that im most grateful for and i wanted to make sure to let Bristol know how grateful i am for her, and how much I love and appreciate how she always tells me i look pretty, or how she loves my nails or my hair, and how much that means to me.  I have told her personally but i wanted you to know what a loving kind thoughtful little girl you have. and im grateful to have her in my life. 

love, Angela"

This one made me laugh.. She catches on too quickly to her mothers quirks!

"it was cute on sunday bristol had to go to the bathroom during class, so i took her and she was showing nme how to wash your hands so that you can get all the germs off, then she took a paper towel and wipes the handle of the door, and said theirs alot of germs on a door handle too. i smiled and said yes there is,   she really is a wonderful smart, girl, and i love her dearly. thank you for sharing her with us"

Bristol is 4!

Dear Miss Bristol,

My dear daughter, how adventurous this past year has been. The challenges that came were expected, as this was your third year, and we had a new baby, but it was definitely the hardest year yet. However, mommy and daddy faced it and we conquered! We love you little girl, and you have truly grown and changed this year in ways that were unbelievable! 

Our patience was tested with your temper tantrums, yelling, screaming, saying "no" non-stop and your ability to argue. We discovered that this was your way of expressing your desire for independence, your ability to think through things on your own and your want to make decisions. Every day was a trial that had to be overcome, for you and for us. 

With the birth of your baby brother, you became a big sister. You could not be more proud of him and your ability to help him. You love him so much, tend for him, help mommy and daddy, bring him toys, make him giggle, kiss him non-stop and consider him your best friend. The relationship that has developed is beautiful and we are grateful to have you here as our helper and the best big sister! 

Through all of this, we were able to grow as parents, to gain the ability to acknowledge your feelings and your desires and to trust in you to lead and guide us to help you become the girl you are growing up to be. Boundaries were set, bargainings were made and compromises were met. We all worked together to help each other and this year is one that we will all look back on as a growing year! 

Even with all of that, we couldn't love you more. You are energetic, intelligent, heartfelt, independent, beautiful, loving, kind, caring and passionate! You take control of situations and love to have things your way. We love your independence and appreciate your determination. You will become a leader, one who demands the attention. 

You are truly a blessing from our Heavenly Father and we are very lucky to have you as our daughter. 

My Bristol, I love you so. I love your tenacious independence. It is amazing to see this in you at such a young age, I know you will make big things happen. Thank you for choosing me as your mommy. I learn from you everyday.

Love always,

Mommy

Tennis!

Bristol started tennis this last Thursday. It has been so fun watching her become interested in different activities. Of course, Sam was quite determined to sign her up because he insists girls NEED to play tennis. Nana bought her the racket for her birthday, which was perfectly pink! 

Needless to say, 4 year old tennis is about as basic as it gets. They threw the balls around and did some running drills.
I think it will slowly progress into the actual game of tennis as the lessons go on. Burke and I enjoyed watching her interact and play! She had a lot of fun! 

Father's Day 2014

We had a wonderful time celebrating Father's Day this year. I am truly beyond blessed to have been lucky to marry the man I did and to share this life with him. He is not only the best husband (I get foot massages almost daily!) but the best father to our children! I have never had a man in my life who is more devoted and loving to his family then our Sam! We are blessed beyond measure! Thank you for all of your sacrifices and all you do for our little family. We are grateful everyday for you! 

And a little spoiling on his special day.. I know you're surprised as to what he wanted.. 

Preschool Orientation

Bristol is getting VERY excited to go to preschool next year. Her new school, Jarvis Methodist, held an orientation to have all the new kids come for an hour and meet the teachers. She loved being dropped off, taking her "pack-pack" ( I don't want to correct her because I love her mis-pronunciations), and packing the things she needed- her frozen blanket, coloring book, colors, bunny and her book.

This girl of ours has become quite the little miss. She loves all things girly, coloring, making up stories, reading, listening to books being read to her, playing with her animals and making sleds. She is very imaginative and smart. It has been so fun to watch her grow and learn.

Summer Time at the Pool!

Our summer has begun and we have thoroughly taken full advantage of the pool! Bristol started the summer off being hesitant to jump into the pool with Sam catching her.. It took about 3 trips to the pool before she decided to try and jump by herself. After that, she has never looked back. She can now not only jump off the edge, she has mastered the cannonball, thanks to daddy. She has also mastered the mermaid and the twist. Love that girl!

Burke, on the other hand, has decided that he loves snacks and the shade WAY more than the floatie and water! 

Burke Turns 1

Dearest Burke Samuel,

To our sweet blue-eyed, light brown hair, fair skin, smiley, loving little boy. We absolutely adore every inch of you and your sweetness. You have brought such joy into our lives with your cadence that is so precious. The bond that has been formed between you and your sister is undeniable, she calls you her best friend. It has truly been a blessing to have you in our lives, to bless us each day with your presence, and to allow us to partake in your precious spirit. 

You have changed this past year so much that it's hard to believe that the time has passed. I sit here pondering where this year went and how my infantile baby boy is turning one, as tears well up in my eyes. 

This past month you have:

-Figured out how to get into the cupboards and play with the pots and pans. You love playing drums on the pot with a wooden spoon. You also love taking all of the ice trays out is the cupboard and throwing them behind you.

-you are now standing up! You are walking around the furniture and walking with the walker, only a couple steps.

-you are giving us kisses! It's one of my favorite things. You love it too, you smile and giggle every time! 

-you are starting to self-wean. We made it a year, and that is always my goal!! Yay!

-you are starting to get a little picky about food. You like to throw the things you don't like on the floor, such as peppers, squash, and pasta. You LOVE blueberries, strawberries, peaches, bananas, apple sauce, crackers, bread, peas, corn on the cob, broccoli, and snacks. 

I remember vividly the day you were born, pulling you up to my chest and looking at your perfect body that was filled with your beautiful spirit. I knew Heavenly Father, had once again, given me the most precious gift He could give. A perfect child that belongs to me and your daddy, who was given to us to protect and teach, to love and guide, to cherish and nurture and to give all of our selves to selflessly. 

Burke Samuel, we love you dearly. You are such a special child who has filled our hearts with joy beyond words. 

Love always, 

Mommy

Memorial Day

Since we have been here in NC we have had the chance to visit many of the beaches around here. We go to Wilmington as often as we can because my cousin Bryan lives down there with his cute family. Most of our friends fromGreenville  go to Atlantic Beach because it is the closet to home, about 2.5 hours.

 We decided to make a day trip out to Atlantic beach with the cute Given family. Their daughter Allie is the same age as Bristol and they had too much fun together! It was fun to watch them build sand castles, run in the waves, watch the fish and fly the kite! Burke absolutely loved crawling around in the sand and climbing on the beach chairs. He is starting to get over wanting to eat the sand. However, he forgets he has it on his hands and puts his hand into his mouth.

It was a beautiful and sunny day. We loved being there and enjoying a perfect day!

(Burke and I tried out a new carrier, ergo.. Didn't love it as much as the moby, but he did fall asleep!)

7th Anniversary

As we celebrated our 7th anniversary, it's amazing to think about all that we have been through. We have moved 3 times, lived in 3 states, graduated college, and started college again, and have had 2 children! It has been a wonderful 7 years and excited to see where we will end up. So many changes have occurred over this last year with me graduating with my RN and the birth of our beautiful son. It has been a wonderful year! Love you to the moon and back, my Sammy!

#kellycousincruise

We had an amazing vacation with 4 of Sam's cousins and his brother Scott and all of their spouses. We went on a royal Caribbean cruise to Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico. It was delightful!

We met everyone in ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, Mother's Day, and headed straight to the beach! We ventured around with Scott and Michelle that evening to tour Sam's mission. We drove down to Miami and ate at a great restaurant that served food from Sam's mission. 

On Monday afternoon we boarded the cruise ship and went straight to grab some food and head to the pool! We did a lot of game playing, swimming, relaxing, chatting and catching up! It was so great to see everyone, it's been years!

When we got to Roatan, Sam and I decided to go zip lining and spend the rest of the day at the beach snorkeling. It was gorgeous! We had so much fun zip lining and actually got to do the largest zip line tour there, which was awesome! The reef we snorkeled on was amazing and beautiful! 

In cozumel, we spent the day riding around the island on scooters with everyone! It was a blast!! Until, Scott and Michelle had their scooter break down and we had to attempt to chase down the owner to get a new one. About 2 hours later, and thank goodness for Sam speaking spanish, we were able to get another and head to the beach. Sam and I rented a kayak and spent the afternoon kayaking and snorkeling. It was very relaxing! 

An amazing vacation indeed! Can't wait to do it again in 5 years!!